1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a machine for producing and treating a sheet of web material, and more particularly to a material web forming device, which forms a material web continuously from a supplied raw material.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, machines which permit the production and treatment of the material web, include the application of an application medium to at least one side, in what is known as an online operation, where only contact application apparatuses, in the form of coating units, are used as the application apparatus. Contactless application apparatuses, such as contactless coating units, are conventionally used only in what is known as an offline operation within a coating or application machine, which is separated from the machine for producing the material web, to which the material web, to be treated, is supplied in the form of material web reels.
Contact application apparatuses can be a problem inasmuch as the performance and average operating time between operating interruptions can be impaired as a result of the contact application or coating. For example, there is an increased risk of a web break at the application unit, resulting in the entire production line coming to a standstill.
As compared with an online operation, relative to the coating of the material web, an offline operation has a lower volumetric efficiency.
What is needed in the art is an apparatus to improve the performance or runnability of the machine without having to accept the volume losses of the offline concept.